Zero Time. Zero Excuses.
🚩Better Leadership Starts Now
One common topic in leadership is how to communicate better.
Right.
But the underlying issue is actually… wait for it… Time.
If you had more time, you would communicate better. Time is flowing so fast that you do not have a moment to send an email, check all the notifications, or prepare for the mid-year talks.
It is crazy how little time you have.
Is it a time management problem? Not really. Lack of planning is the usual suspect.
Planning plans
I’ve met many leaders who struggled with communication. They wanted to do this, that, improve processes, develop people, include new standards, or do digitalization.
Sweet dreams.
I encourage you to have dreams. But let’s be realistic. You CANNOT do it all. Not alone. Not at the same time.
That is why you have a vision. One big umbrella idea. A purpose (Ikigai if you wish).
And yet, your vision does not come true overnight. I am sorry about that. This is even more true in leadership than in any other area of your life.
Vision needs a plan. The plan needs proper planning.
The plan is your step-by-step keep-on-track tool. You can go nuts if you do not plan your plans. You derail, and you’re gone. Frustrated. Demotivated.
This is really what you should internalize. Leadership = planning plans.
What is your plan?
How do you achieve it?
Who does what?
Which steps are first and which come in later?
Dig into these:
Plans help you keep your head clear. Plans help your team to know where you are and where you are heading. Plans make your behavior predictable and understood.
What people understand, they are likely to relate to and get on board with.
How do you want to improve your communication without a plan?
Better leadership means zero excuses
“They didn’t deliver.”
“He went behind my back.”
“They do not listen to me and take me seriously.”
Do you like making excuses for what did not work? Many people do. It is their way to rationalize why things do not work. They sometimes quit because they cannot work with each other.
Excuses destabilize your plans. “I don’t have time now.”
“I am overbooked.”
Yes, of course, you are busy. How does that affect your leadership? Do you not lead when you are busy? You lead only when you have time?
Excuses do not belong to leadership. Get rid of them.
Make a plan. Stick to the plan. Yes, you can alternate it, adjust it, but have the future vision in the head. Leadership is to make it happen.
That is your responsibility. That is what gives your work a sense.
Excuses won’t satisfy you or make you happy. The oppositve. Excuses make you a bad leader.
Back to a change
Changing processes is a pain in the neck. But changing a team culture is a slow, detailed, and partially annoying effort leaders get frustrated about.
You cannot change people. You can replace them. Which is the last option. The question is how to make people collaborate and be on board.
You know the answer already.
Communication.
And still, communication needs time you don’t have.
Now what?
Go and have some change management course because that is what you need right now.
You cannot change who people are, but you can integrate them into a culture that fits your vision, business, and your values.
People do not like being told what to do. It is tricky. They need to feel included, listened to, taken seriously.
Most importantly, what you say must make sense to them.
All staff meetings are often missed opportunities. Weekly team meetings are for nothing. Unless you communicate consistently towards the change you want to achieve.
Change is your step towards the vision.
Vision, change, plan. It does feel like a lot. One can easily get buried under their own ideas of what all should be started.
Start breaking your vision into logical pieces. Make them short, clear, and realistic. Then, design plans to achieve them. One by one. Generic at first. But the moment you identify who will help you, go into detail. Do not let people guess. Discuss and direct when needed.
There is nothing more beautiful in leadership than a team that works together. That is your answer to team engagement and better communication.
You start, they follow.
In one sentence
If you have zero time to communicate, you don't have a communication problem, you have a planning problem.
Have a good one, Ivona